


Seal of Approval

by vix_spes



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Insecurity, M/M, Post Battle of Five Armies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-29
Updated: 2013-04-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:12:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The arrival of the Lady Dís leaves Bilbo feeling rather uncertain of his place in the newly re-established Erebor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seal of Approval

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [gabe1990](http://gabe1990.livejournal.com) as part of the Happy April Swap. My first attempt at writing this pairing so hopefully it’s okay!

“Caravans!”  
  
The cry had gone up early that morning, as soon as the sentries had seen the last and largest train of caravans headed for Erebor. Parties of dwarrows had been slowly and steadily trickling back towards Erebor, towards home, for the last few months ever since word had spread that Thorin Oakenshield had reclaimed his ancestral home from Smaug but this last caravan to arrive from Blue Mountains was the most eagerly anticipated. This caravan was led by Lady Dís, Thorin’s sister and mother to Fíli and Kíli, who had led the exiled dwarrows in Thorin’s stead while he was on the Quest.  
  
Not everybody was eagerly awaiting her arrival though.  
  
Thorin himself, although eager, couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about his sister’s arrival. Whilst his nephews were still alive, they were not completely unscathed and he was fairly certain that Dís would take her displeasure at this discovery out on him. Where Thorin was apprehensive however, Bilbo was downright terrified and, considering everything that he had seen and done since he left Bag End and his beloved Shire that was impressive.  
  
Ever since word had arrived via raven informing Thorin that the caravan was on its way, it had seemed like every single member of the Company had taken to extolling the virtues of the Lady Dís. It seemed like every single one of them had nothing but good things to say about her. There were those who had less to say about her than others; the brothers Ri only being distantly related to Thorin and the brothers Ur, who had been distantly related to Dís’ former husband. Balin and Dwalin were full of praise for the dwarrow dam that had acted in Thorin’s stead in Ered Luin and who had led the last of their people home to Erebor. Fíli and Kíli hadn’t been able to shut up about their beloved Amad, bouncing around like dwarflings, and while Thorin had never been particularly verbose it was easy to see the pleasure he felt at having received the news.  
  
Still, Bilbo couldn’t help the thrum of nerves as the caravan moved along the last stretch up to the gates of Erebor and the Company assembled outside the gates. He couldn’t help but be a little excited at the prospect of meeting Dís but any excitement was overshadowed by nerves. Nerves that not only would she disapprove of him but, more importantly, disapprove of his relationship with Thorin. Not that there was much of relationship to be had given that they had been preoccupied with the Quest and the need to retake Erebor on the road, then there had been the small issue of Thorin suffering from the gold-sickness and banishing Bilbo and then there had been the need to make Erebor habitable once more. Still, there had been discussions and any issues between the two of them had been resolved. Nevertheless, Bilbo knew that there was still a lingering uncertainty on Thorin’s part as to whether Bilbo was actually going to stay in Erebor and be happy or whether he would run for the Shire as soon as he possibly could.  
  
When the caravan came into sight, Bilbo couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of the dwarrow sat at the reins of the leading caravan. He didn’t know what he had been expecting Thorin’s sister to look like but it certainly hadn’t been for her to almost be Thorin’s twin. Dwarrow dams around Erebor had become a more common sight in recent months but Dís was something different altogether. Even in travelling clothes dusty from the road, Dís _looked_ like royalty. She held herself with the same bearing and poise as Thorin but it was also clear that she was the mother of Fíli and Kíli, even though Kíli took more after his mother while Fíli got his colouring from his father. As the caravans drew to a halt, Bilbo hung back as the rest of the company rushed forward, both to greet Dís but also to greet various family members and friends; Bombur and Glóin going straight for groups that Bilbo presumed were their families. He didn’t look for long though before his attention was occupied by the Durin’s.  
  
Unlike other families, there were no shouts of delight or greeting and no overt displays of affection but then Bilbo hadn’t expected anything less. After all, it had taken him until the carrock to realise that Fíli and Kíli were actually related to Thorin. Kíli was unconcerned about showing his affection for in front of everybody, wrapping himself around her in a huge hug and refusing to let go even for Fíli. Fíli stood by patiently, giving his mother a brief but heartfelt hug when he could before stepping back, looking for all the world as though he wished that he could show the same lack of restraint as Kíli. Thorin managed to wait until Dís had foisted Kíli off onto Fíli temporarily and then he was stepping forward to embrace his sister. Their reunion was more what Bilbo had been expecting; a traditional Dwarven greeting of bashing their foreheads together except once that had been done they simply rested their foreheads together, their relief at being reunited palpable.  
  
As they turned as a group to enter the mountain Bilbo hung back, feeling more than a little out of place. It was not a feeling that he liked. He had been part of this group, this weird more than slightly dysfunctional little family for months but he didn’t really feel like he belonged at this point in time. The boys, and that’s how he thought of them because that’s what they were, were now on either side of Dís drinking in the fact that she was there as they walked. Thorin walked behind the trio, a small smile on his lips as he watched the reunion. Fili and Kili may call him Uncle Bilbo, something that had originated as teasing and then stuck, and he may ostensibly be in a relationship with Thorin but there was no place for him here. Feeling relieved that he and Thorin didn’t share quarters ‘for propriety’s sake’, Bilbo turned and made his way to his room. It was going to be a quiet evening.

  
~*~

  
Nearly two weeks after Dís arrival, Bilbo was still firmly convinced that the princess wasn’t convinced of him, nor of his relationship with Thorin. He could understand her worry; both Dís and Thorin had lost far too many of those close to them over the years and he could understand that she was so protective of him. Nevertheless, there was no denying that Dís was firmly of the opinion that Bilbo’s relationship wouldn’t work out and that the hobbit wasn’t a suitable future consort for the King Under The Mountain. Nothing and no-one could change her opinion. Not even the reappearance of Gandalf with various items of Bilbo’s from Bag End that he had decided that he couldn’t do without. Nothing much but things that, if he was going to make a life for himself here in Erebor, he would rather were with him; his mother’s glory box, a selection of his books (and a rather large selection at that) and a large portion of his wardrobe.  
  
Then the day arrived that changed everything.  
  
Even though they had retaken Erebor, that didn’t mean that they were still completely free from attack. Despite their defeat at the Battle of Five Armies, there were still occasional orc and goblin attacks, most of which were easily dealt with by the patrols. Still, it would be the case that the day Thorin, Fíli and Kíli decided to join the patrols simply because they were bored of sitting in meetings was the day that the patrol failed to come back completely unscathed. Obviously the ones who were incapable of remaining uninjured were the Durin’s as Oín grumbled while he saw to their wounds assisted by Dís and Bilbo. None of them were serious, but they were enough to keep them from meetings for a couple of days much to Thorin’s frustration.  
  
Of course as far as Bilbo was concerned, Thorin could get as frustrated as he liked, it wasn’t going to make any difference; Bilbo still wasn’t going to let him get out of bed until both he and Oín were satisfied that Thorin was going to make himself worse by being out of bed and working. The same applied to Fíli and Kíli. Dís had simply laughed and said that Thorin had never listened to anybody when it came to obeying orders to do with his health; he hadn’t listened to their parents and she couldn’t see that changing now, particularly for a little hobbit.  
She was forced to stand back and watch in amazement as that was exactly what happened. Through a combination of cajoling, threats and bribery, Bilbo managed to get all three Durin’s to stay in bed instead of attending meetings and training sessions. He even managed to prevent Thorin from doing anything remotely involved with the throne, even if Thorin did insist that he could do paperwork from his bed. He dealt with dwarrows coming and going, demanding to see Thorin and being refused every single time, much to their confusion. He even sent a group of elves from Mirkwood packing, informing them that the King was unable to see them at the moment but if they left the relevant papers then Bilbo would see that they were dealt with. In essence, he did everything that the King’s Consort would be expected to do even if the position wasn’t officially his yet, considering that technically he and Thorin were still courting.

  
(~*~)

  
Several days later, when Thorin was once again able to carry out his duties, Bilbo had been in his rooms discussing with Ori the best way to proceed in chronicling their journey when there had been a determined knock on the door. Calling out for whomever it was to enter, he had been surprised when Dís had entered the room. Seeing the look on her face, Ori abruptly stood up and made his excuses, bolting from the room like the same nervous dwarrow he had been at the beginning of the quest.  
  
“Lady Dís,” Bilbo stood from where he had been sat with Ori, a bit unsure what the dwarrow dam could want. “Please take a seat. What can I do for you?”  
  
“I have come to offer my apologies Master Baggins. I have misjudged you, it would seem. You will prove a worthy consort to the King under the Mountain, to my brother.” As she finished speaking, Dís gave a formal bow from the waist.  
  
It took a while for Bilbo to be able to stop gaping and form words. “No apologies are necessary Lady Dís.”  
  
“Just Dís, we are going to be family now.”  
  
“Very well, in that case you can stop calling me Master Baggins. Especially if your sons call me Uncle Bilbo.” Bilbo smiled as he saw Dís’ lips twitch in amusement at that. “It’s just Bilbo.”  
  
“Very well Bilbo. Perhaps you would like to come with me and join us for lunch? I fear my dear elder brother will have worn grooves into the mountain in his worry.”  
  
Dís hadn’t been lying. When they made it to the royal apartments, Fíli and Kíli were lounging in chairs in front of the fireplace watching Thorin pace up and down the sitting room. The minute that he heard the door open he spun around, searching both Bilbo’s face and Dís’ for confirmation that everything that had been resolved. Whatever he saw satisfied him because his shoulders lost the tension that he had been carrying and the furrows in his forehead smoothed out. Dís moved past the two of them, pushing Kíli gently out of his chair onto the warg skin rug and taking the seat herself. Bilbo was so caught up watching the trio that he practically squawked when arms wrapped around him and he was hauled against Thorin’s chest. Before he could protest at the rough treatment, his face was cupped in broad hands and Thorin was kissing him thoroughly.  
  
He finally had the approval of Dís, the boys called him Uncle Bilbo and the Company seemed delighted that he was staying in Erebor. Judging by the way that Thorin was kissing him, he had no complaints either. Maybe this was going to work out after all.


End file.
